HOW AGE EFFECTS SOCIAL SECURITY DISABILITY (SSDI)

The claimant's age plays an important part in Social Security Disability (SSDI) decisions. Age may determine whether you win or lose your case. Social Security uses age categories, as follows:

Younger Individual - This refers to an individual who is below the age of 50. Since these individuals cannot meet a Medical-Vocational Guideline (grid rule), they have the hardest time getting SSDI benefits. If Social Security can demonstrate that these claimants are able to perform any type of work, even low-paying unskilled, sedentary jobs, they will be denied.

Closely Approaching Advanced Age - This category is for individuals who are age 50 through 54. Individuals in this category might meet a grid rule, especially if they are limited to sedentary work due to their medical impairment(s).

Advanced Age - Refers to claimants who are age 55 and over. The basic advantage these individuals have is that Social Security usually does not expect them to adapt to new types of work. The grid rules will often direct a finding of "disabled" if an individual of advanced age cannot perform his or her past relevant work and has no skills that transfer to easier work. Your attorney/representative will know how to use the grid rules and argue that skills are non-transferable.

Social Security sometimes approves SSDI claims in all age categories. In addition to age, they consider education level, skills learned at past jobs and of course medical impairments. However, when all the other factors are equal, the older claimant always has an advantage.